Transported in another world

control

The camp eventually quieted, and after a meal shared with my comrades, I retreated to my tent. The cold night air chilled my skin, but the fire within me—both literal and metaphorical—kept me warm. I glanced down at the skill sheet that shimmered faintly in front of me, a relic from the ancient magics governing this world. I had come a long way from the novice assassin I once was. But with every new power came new risks.

I sat on the ground and began to meditate, focusing on the energy of Shadow Dominion swirling inside me. It was like a storm, restless and violent, yet there was a strange allure in its chaos. I reached out, my fingers grazing the edges of the power, attempting to understand its boundaries. A whisper filled my mind, tempting me with the promise of more strength if I dared to let go.

"No," I muttered. Control was everything.

Just then, the flap of my tent rustled. Amber stepped inside, her silver eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. As Alpha of the wolves, she carried herself with the kind of confidence that made everyone else in the room instinctively follow her lead. She knelt beside me, silent for a moment, as if reading the turbulent energy around me.

“You’re trying to understand it, aren’t you?” she asked softly, her hand resting on my knee. “The Shadow Dominion.”

I nodded, opening my eyes to meet hers. “I need to. It’s not like any power I’ve wielded before. It’s... wild.”

Amber tilted her head thoughtfully. “And dangerous.”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, we just sat there, the silence between us filled only by the faint sounds of the camp outside. Then she leaned closer, her voice low. “You know, Ryu, I’ve always believed power doesn’t corrupt on its own. It amplifies what’s already inside you.”

I raised an eyebrow, curious about where she was going with this.

“You’ve always been strong,” she continued. “But you’ve also been careful. You understand balance. This power may be dark, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose yourself to it. You can shape it.”

Her words resonated deeply. I knew Amber wasn’t just speaking as the Alpha, or as my wife—she was speaking as someone who had faced her own darkness before and come out stronger on the other side.

“I’ll master it,” I said, more to myself than to her. “I have to.”

Amber smiled, satisfied, and stood up. “Then let’s get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start your training. And we’ll see just how deep this Shadow Dominion runs.”

I watched as she left the tent, feeling more grounded after our conversation. She was right—this power was mine, and it was up to me to define how it would be used.

---

The next morning, as the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, I gathered with my companions near the training grounds. Zayn, still grinning mischievously as ever, clapped his hands together. “Alright, shadow-boy, show us what you’ve got.”

I rolled my shoulders, feeling the energy pulse beneath my skin. The others stood in a loose circle around me, their eyes expectant. I focused on the Shadow Dominion, reaching deep inside to call forth its power.

The air around me shifted, dark tendrils spiraling out from my form. The ground beneath me seemed to ripple with darkness as the power grew stronger. For a moment, I felt it—an overwhelming urge to let the shadows consume everything around me.

But then, I remembered Amber’s words. Control.

With a deep breath, I reined in the shadows, channeling them into focused energy. The darkness around me condensed into a single point in front of my palm, a black sphere crackling with restrained power.

“Not bad,” Zayn said, clearly impressed. “But how much can you do with it?”

Without responding, I threw the sphere toward a nearby training dummy. The moment it made contact, the shadows exploded outward, enveloping the dummy and the surrounding area in pitch-black darkness. When the shadows finally receded, there was nothing left but charred remains.

Amber, Mia, and Mona exchanged glances, clearly aware of the immense potential this new power held. But as I stood there, panting slightly from the exertion, I could feel the strain it took to keep the shadows from spiraling out of control.

“There’s more work to be done,” I admitted, wiping sweat from my brow. “But it’s a start.”

Mia stepped forward, her graceful movements a stark contrast to the deadly power she wielded as the Spider Queen. “The shadows are vast, Ryu. But like any web, if you weave them carefully, they can become your greatest asset. Don’t rush it.”

I nodded, appreciating her insight.

“Alright, then,” Zayn said with a smirk. “Next time, we’ll try something a bit more challenging. Maybe we’ll throw you into the middle of a real battle and see how well you handle that shadow power under pressure.”

I chuckled. “You’re not making this easy, are you?”

“Where’s the fun in easy?” he replied.

As we continued our training, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the next battle would test not only my strength but my ability to control the darkness within. But for now, with my friends and allies beside me, I felt ready to face whatever came next.